Tag: ufc 311

Umar Nurmagomedov Plans To Give Headlining Teammate Islam Makhachev ‘Good Energy’ With ‘Perfect’ UFC 311 Win

UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov is well aware of the pressure on him to set the stage for Islam Makhachev this weekend. Nurmagomedov is days out from his first title challenge on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, as the undefeated Dagestani battles for Merab Dvalishvili’s 135-pound gold in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 311 […]

UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov is well aware of the pressure on him to set the stage for Islam Makhachev this weekend.

Nurmagomedov is days out from his first title challenge on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, as the undefeated Dagestani battles for Merab Dvalishvili’s 135-pound gold in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 311 pay-per-view.

Should the 29-year-old have his hand raised, celebrations for his crowning won’t last long within the team.

Attention inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome will have to immediately turn to another assignment for one of their men, with Makhachev set to defend his lightweight throne opposite Arman Tsarukyan in the main event.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov acknowledged the need to perform well with his teammate watching on backstage ahead of his own walk to the Octagon.

“It’s going to be a hard night for our team,” Nurmagomedov said. “Two fights for the title very close together. It’s going to be nervous. Islam is going to be nervous watching my fight, but I will fight perfect. I will try to not even miss one punch, to give him good energy.

“It’s always (harder watching them fight),” Nurmagomedov said. “When you’re fighting, you can control everything. And when someone else is fighting – your brother, your close friends – you can just give him advice. Fighting (yourself is) easy, more easy. Any fighter will tell you.”

Fight week hasn’t exactly started smoothly for Nurmagomedov’s team after their coach, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, was shown being kicked off a flight to Los Angeles in a video that went viral this past weekend.

While that remains a hot topic, they’ll look to forget those issues and focus on the task at hand on Jan. 18, when the team will hope to double its amount of UFC gold rather than leave Inglewood with none altogether.

‘Easily Some Of The Best’ – Fans React As Makhachev & Dvalishvili Get First Custom Shorts Of 2025 For UFC 311

The first UFC PPV card of the year is just days away with UFC 311 taking place on Saturday January 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. With two title fights set to top the card, the promotion is continuing the tradition which began last year of giving select fighters the opportunity to design […]

The first UFC PPV card of the year is just days away with UFC 311 taking place on Saturday January 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. With two title fights set to top the card, the promotion is continuing the tradition which began last year of giving select fighters the opportunity to design custom shorts.

We’ve seen some instantly iconic designs in the past with the likes of Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway and Alex Pereira coming to mind for having shorts that have helped to define their personalities and cultures. Both of the champions who are set to defend their titles this weekend have received their own unique pair of personal fight gear as lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili pay tribute to their backgrounds.

Both men have fought in title fights since the promotion started doing this highly-celebrated trend but neither have had the opportunity to get their own designs as of yet. For Makhachev, his shorts predominantly feature the steep terrain of Dagestan and the Caucasus Mountains with a geometric design. The other main feature appears to be a traditional sword or dagger strapped to his side that is carried by people from this region.

Georgian MMA reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili helped to break down on social media how Dvalishvili’s shorts pay homage to his home country where he has been received as a hero since winning the 135-pound title in September.

Fans reacted to the two new additions to the custom shorts wardrobe on social media.

“Lowkey heat”

“Alright, the mountain shorts are nice.”

“These are solid. But I feel like years of boring ass kits have us excited for anything different.”

“Easily some of the best custom shorts”

“Merab got them lifeguard shorts”

UFC 311: Arman Tsarukyan ‘Just Going To Think About Money’, Not Legacy After Title Win

UFC lightweight title challenger Arman Tsarukyan knows what he wants, and it’s not the kind of accolades many others are chasing. Tsarukyan is days out from his first title challenge on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. The Armenian is set to run it back with current champion Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC […]

UFC lightweight title challenger Arman Tsarukyan knows what he wants, and it’s not the kind of accolades many others are chasing.

Tsarukyan is days out from his first title challenge on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. The Armenian is set to run it back with current champion Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 311 this weekend.

While he fell short against the Dagestani in his debut back in 2019, Tsarukyan is confident of avenging that defeat and securing his place atop the lightweight mountain on Jan. 18.

And when he does so, there will seemingly be a sizable focus shift for “Akhalkalakets.”

During a recent interview with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman on their Pound 4 Pound podcast, Tsarukyan outlined his intention to pursue nothing but “money fights” once he becomes champ, dismissing any notion of chasing two-division glory or a record-breaking run of title defenses.

“After this fight, when I’m champion, I’m just gonna think about money, not about being two-time champion or (defending the title) 10 times. I’m just gonna think about money fights,” Tsarukyan said. “I’m not thinking what happens after this fight, I’m just (thinking) after this fight. Maybe my father says, ‘You know what, you’re done with this sport. You won the title, come and work, make money with me.’ So, you never know.”

Before looking to bring that to fruition, though, Tsarukyan must first unseat Makhachev.

In contrast to the challenger’s plans, Makhachev has been chasing greatness with his run as titleholder. Following successful retentions against Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Dustin Poirier, a victory this Saturday at the Intuit Dome would see the Dagestani surpass BJ Penn and Khabib Nurmagomedov for lightweight title fight wins and conseuctive defenses.

‘Tired’ Khabib Nurmagomedov Hopes He Can Retire From Coaching Soon Ahead Of UFC 311 Assignments

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov returned to cornering fighters last year following a brief break, but it seems he’s already wanting to give up coaching in its entirety. Khabib is set for a busy week in Los Angeles, where two of his team’s most prominent fighters will take up headline spots for the UFC […]

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov returned to cornering fighters last year following a brief break, but it seems he’s already wanting to give up coaching in its entirety.

Khabib is set for a busy week in Los Angeles, where two of his team’s most prominent fighters will take up headline spots for the UFC 311 pay-per-view on Jan. 18.

Before 155-pound kingpin Islam Makhachev defends his crown in the main event, “The Eagle’s” cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, will challenge for Merab Dvalishvili’s bantamweight throne in the co-headliner.

The retired legend will be cageside calling the shots for both — a position he took up following his retirement from active competition in 2020. But it doesn’t seem like he plans on staying there longer than necessary.

During a recent interview uploaded to ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Khabib discussed how long he plans to be in the coaching game for, revealing that he doesn’t intend on occupying the role beyond the careers of his current crop of fighters.

“When the guys finish, I’m going to finish,” Khabib said. “I hope it’s going to be very fast, I’m tired of all this. We’ve been on top of this game for like, seven, eight years, since I became a champion. All these guys were with me, they were with my father when I was starting.

“There are still six, eight (fighters competing) at a very high level. When they finish, I will finish too,” Khabib added.

The immediate lead-up to UFC 311 didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts for Khabib, who was the subject of a viral video that showed him being removed from a plane ahead of a flight from Los Vegas to California this past weekend.

While “The Eagle” eventually boarded a different flight and made his way to the state, the fallout from the incident has continued this week, with Frontier Airlines most recently releasing a statement in defense of the flight attendant who had the exchange with the former UFC fighter.

Jiri Prochazka Setting the Stage for Trilogy Fight with Alex Pereira

Jiri Prochazka Setting the Stage for a Trilogy Fight with Alex PereiraJiri Prochazka believes the third time against Alex Pereira will be the charm. Thus far, ‘BJP’ is 0-2 against…

Jiri Prochazka Setting the Stage for a Trilogy Fight with Alex Pereira

Jiri Prochazka believes the third time against Alex Pereira will be the charm.

Thus far, ‘BJP’ is 0-2 against the reigning light heavyweight champion, suffering second-round knockouts against the Brazilian boogeyman at both UFC 295 and UFC 303. But despite the dueling setbacks, Prochazka is far from giving up on his dreams of reclaiming the 205-pound crown, and it all starts this weekend when he meets ex-titleholder Jamahal Hill in Los Angeles.

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“I said that many times, and I mean that very seriously,” Prochazka told MMA Junkie. “Everything that I say, I mean very seriously. I believe that I’ve made improvements to my style, to my life, in everything so I can face Alex Pereira a third time. I really believe that.

“I believe that I can be the champion, and I’m going for that – to be the champion again. No more words.”

Prochazka captured the light heavyweight title in June 2022 following an epic back-and-forth brawl with Glover Teixeira. The two were set to run it back that December, but Prochazka was forced the vacate the title after suffering a shoulder injury. Returning to the Octagon a year later, the Czech had an opportunity to reclaim the gold he technically never lost. Instead, it was ‘Poatan’ who would walk away with his second UFC belt in less than a year.

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Jiri Prochazka isn’t interested in talking anymore

While Jiri Prochazka is a larger-than-life personality in the world of MMA, he’s not interested in any of the trash talk or the pre-fight antics that his next opponent likes to engage in.

Instead, ‘BJP’ is focused on letting his hands do the talking and showing everyone that he has what it takes to climb back up the light-heavyweight ladder.

“I just want to be myself – that’s all,” Prochazka said. “That’s what I want to show the world: The best version of myself, the best version of my kind, of how I see the martial arts, of my kind of style of fighting. This is what I want to share.

“This is what I want to show to the world – that I’m the best. I’ve made the improvements that I can be at the top, champion again. This is it.”

Prochazka goes into UFC 311 with a 4-2 record under the UFC banner, both of his losses coming against Pereira. Jamahal Hill will also look to bounce back after suffering his own vicious knockout loss against ‘Poatan’ at UFC 300 in April.

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UFC 311 Lineup Takes Another Hit At The Start Of Fight Week

The upcoming UFC 311 pay-per-view event has lost another fight days on from Johnny Walker’s forced withdrawal. Walker was scheduled to figure in the featured preliminary bout of Saturday’s card opposite Bogdan Guskov in a clash of ranked light heavyweights. But with the Brazilian ruled out, the Hungarian will now face UFC newcomer Billy Elekana. […]

The upcoming UFC 311 pay-per-view event has lost another fight days on from Johnny Walker’s forced withdrawal.

Walker was scheduled to figure in the featured preliminary bout of Saturday’s card opposite Bogdan Guskov in a clash of ranked light heavyweights. But with the Brazilian ruled out, the Hungarian will now face UFC newcomer Billy Elekana.

And that’s not the only replacement the promotion will need to secure on late notice.

The @octagonupdate account on X reported Monday that Sedriques Dumas has also pulled out from a UFC 311 prelim. “The Reaper,” who most recently outpointed Denis Tiuliulin last August in Abu Dhabi, was slated to face Zachary Reese inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome.

It remains to be seen whether or not a new opponent will be found for Reese, a 30-year-old middleweight prospect who has gone 2-1 since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.